Alexei Navalny said that banning the RT channel or skipping the World Cup would not be effective measuresPAVEL GOLOVKIN/AP

Russia’s main opposition leader has called on Theresa May to punish the Kremlin for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal by moving against the country’s politicians and business leaders with assets in the UK.

Alexei Navalny, 41, said yesterday that the tycoons Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov should be targeted, as well as Igor Shuvalov, a wealthy deputy prime minister of Russia who has assets in London.

Mr Navalny said measures such as banning the Kremlin television channel RT and a plan for UK officials to boycott the football World Cup in June would play into President Putin’s hands.

His call comes as discussions are continuing behind the scenes in Westminster about the possible introduction of Magnitsky Act powers, named after the Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky…

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